SB 158 - This act establishes a prescription monitoring program in the Department of Health and Senior Services. The program will monitor the prescribing and dispensing of all Schedule II through Schedule V controlled substances by all licensed professionals who prescribe or dispense these substances in Missouri. The dispenser must electronically submit to the department information for each prescription and specifies the frequency of the submissions. The department may issue a waiver to a dispenser who is unable to submit the required information electronically. If a waiver is obtained, a dispenser can submit the required information in paper format or by other approved means. All submitted prescription information shall be confidential. Exceptions to this requirement include violations of law or breach of professional standards which result in an investigation and the submission or the release of prescription information to authorized persons. The act authorizes the release of non-personal, general information for statistical, educational, and research purposes. The department may contract with other state agencies or private vendors to implement the provisions of this act. The act contains penalty provisions for dispensers and authorized persons who violate provisions of the act. The department is required to implement certain education courses regarding the prescription monitoring program. The department shall, when appropriate, work with associations for impaired professionals to ensure ongoing monitoring and treatment and encourage individual patients who are addicted to substances monitored by the program to receive addiction treatment. The provisions of this act shall be effective on January 1, 2006 and sunset in six years. This act is similar to HB 987 (2004). JIM ERTLE